LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.02.14 (03) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 14 February 2010 - Volume 03
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Dear Lowlanders,

Continuing with the Jewish Lowlands theme I started with my post about
Glückel of Hamlin on Friday (http://tinyurl.com/yas5mu5), I would like to
share with you my "discovery" of "Scots Yiddish." I mentioned it once
before, but I believe it fell through the cracks at the time.

As most of you know, two languages, besides Low Saxon ("Low German"), that
are really, really dear to my heart are Scots and Yiddish (and the third one
is Afrikaans). (Not that *any* language is not dear to my heart, Lowlands or
otherwise.) So when I first heard about "Scots Yiddish" I bet you can
imagine how that got my attention.

Apparently, "Scots Yiddish" is Eastern Yiddish transplanted to Bonny
Scotland and then leaving indelible marks on the language we call "Scots,"
the Scottish sister language of English (which is not the same as Scottish
English).

On the basis of what I have been able to ascertain about it, "Scots Yiddish"
is not Yiddish but is a form of Scots that I would prefer to call "Jewish
Scots" (or "Judeo-Scots"). In particular, it is a form of Glaswegian (i.e.
Scots of Glasgow) with an East Yiddish substratum developed among East
European Jewish immigrants. (I wouldn't be surprised if there were or used
to be an equivalent in Edinburgh.) I totally dismiss the claim that it is a
language. I consider it a Jewish "jargon" (or rather sociolect) within
Scots, although you are likely to find entire Yiddish phrases thrown into
it, as seen in (2) below.

Take these examples:

(1)
Vot time’s yer barmitzvie, laddie?
[What time is your bar mitzvah, boy/son?]

(2)
Ye’ll hae a drap o’ bramfen. It’s Dzon Beck. Ye ken: “Nem a schmeck fun Dzon
Beck."
[(You'll) Have a drop of liquor (= whiskey)! It's John Beck. You know: "Take
a peg of John Begg!" (this slogan being recomposed in Yiddish literally
translated as "Have a taste of John Begg!")]
{Yiddish ×‘×¨×Ö¸× ×¤Ö¿×Ÿ *bronfn* 'hard liquor', 'whiskey' < German
*Brandwein*("(burned =) distilled wine")) 'brandy'}

http://tinyurl.com/ojk9ta

If any of you has any further information about Jewish Scots, I would feel
eternally indebted to them for sharing it with me. The same applies to any
other Judeo-specific Lowlands language (and this includes Afrikaans, of
course).

Thanks and regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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